Donald P. Miers, Sr. of Stewartsville, N.J. was charged with a felony count of ethnic intimidation and misdemeanor charges of making terroristic threats and harassment for attacking Easton Area High School coach JaMarr Billman on March 10, 2018 at the Giant Center in Derry Township, police said.
Miers was at the arena - host venue for the 2018 Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic Association (PIAA) wrestling championships -- when he reportedly became upset after learning his grandson -- an Easton Area senior wrestler - hadn't made weight and couldn't participate.
"Miers became angry after hearing the news and confronted the coach as he sat at a table in the Giant Center's concourse," according to the Derry Township police report filed this past week.
"As the coach sat at the table, Miers grabbed him, placing his left hand on the front of his neck and his right hand on the back," the report continued.
"Miers told the coach, 'I'll kill you,' before also calling him the n-word, police said, adding that Miers also threatened to 'choke the life out' of the coach."
Online court documents show that Miers faces a felony charge of ethnic intimidation, misdemeanor charges of making terroristic threats and harassment, and a summary offense of harassment. He was arraigned on those charges this past week, and was released on his own recognizance, the website for the Express-Times reported Friday.
A trial date has not been set.
NJ.com -- website for a number of New Jersey-based newspapers -- reported that Derry Township police didn't say why it took more than a year to charge Miers.
As InterMat reported on March 27, 2018, Billman -- who had wrestled at Easton Area High and had served as head coach of the program for two seasons -- did not have his contract renewed -- along with the rest of his coaching staff -- by the school board on March 15, 2018 ... days after the alleged incident at the 2018 PIAA wrestling championships.
Immediately after it was announced that Billman would not have his contract renewed, the local NCAAP as well as some wrestlers and other students protested the decision.
However, after a meeting with the school superintendent, Billman and his coaches were reinstated by the end of the week.
After wrestling for the Easton Area Red Rovers -- where he earned two PIAA state titles -- Billman was three-time NCAA All-American wrestler at Penn State and Lock Haven before being named coach at his prep alma mater three years ago.
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